Module 3: Prototyping, Testing & Experimentation
Prototyping Principles
Why should you use this method?
- To learn quickly and cheaply
- To create credible data to build conviction
- To avoid expensive failure
- To discover the contradiction between what people say and do
- To avoid wrong conclusion based on biased data creation
How can you apply this method?
1. Beginner’s mindset
Adapt the mindset of a kindergartener, thus don’t overinvest in a plan, learn by doing and discover the answer.
2. Focus on Desirability
Focus on the desirability question. Does the user want your solution and is he or she willing to pay for it? This should be the focus of your prototyping and testing experiment.
3. Be Cheap
Ask yourself, “what if I had only half the budget available?”. Think of other ways you could design an experiment with less money. Decrease your spending to the smallest amount possible. The more you invest, the harder to throw away.
4. Be Quick
Invest little time and resources and aim to fail early and often. Can this experiment be launched within hours? If not, think of ways to design it faster.
5. Generate Data
You want to learn as much as possible. Thus, you want to gather data respectively learning and insights while designing, creating, and conducting your experiment.
Next Steps
Having internalized the prototyping principle, you want to explore your starting point.